Question

In the course of stealing and destroying evidence, Monika committed several other crimes—mugging a police officer, setting fire to a crime scene, and breaking into the police station. Her actions have directly threatened public safety and have made it difficult to prosecute other criminals. Someone will have to pay to repair the damage caused by the fire and break-in. In a short essay (three to four paragraphs), answer these questions: If you were the judge in charge of sentencing, what criminal sanctions would you use to punish Monika, deter future crime, and ensure public safety? What corrections programs would you use to support rehabilitation and compensate victims?

Priority Rank Criminal Sanctions or Programs to Support This Goal

a)Retribution
b)Deterrence
c)Public Safety
d)Rehabilitation

Answer 1

A judge should consider a balanced approach to sentencing Monika, focusing on retribution, deterrence, public safety, and rehabilitation. A combination of incarceration for the purpose of punishment and deterrence, along with rehabilitation programs aimed at reducing recidivism, would be key. Community service may also be required for the goal of public safety and to compensate the community.

Step-by-step explanation:

As a judge tasked with sentencing Monika, who committed multiple crimes including mugging a police officer, setting fire to a crime scene, and breaking into the police station, several criminal sanctions and corrections programs must be considered to address the four goals of criminal justice: retribution, deterrence, public safety, and rehabilitation.

Retribution is about ensuring Monika is justly punished for her crimes. Given the severity and range of offenses, a significant period of incarceration would serve as punishment.

Deterrence is necessary to discourage Monika and others from repeating such offenses. Here, the legal consequence should be severe enough to act as a deterrent, possibly including a longer-term sentence relative to juvenile standards combined with mandatory educational or training programs.

For rehabilitation, I would leverage programs proven to reduce recidivism, such as drug courts, therapy, counseling, and vocational training. These programs would aim to transform Monika into a law-abiding, productive member of society post-release.